


Moments Between

by VisionsChaotic



Series: The Journey Home [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Keema being a good wingman, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mechanic!Reyes, Post High Noon, Pre Hunting the Archon, Scott likes his men a little dangerous, Singing, Singing!Scott, Slice of Life, Vetra being a good wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23822320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionsChaotic/pseuds/VisionsChaotic
Summary: Reyes' personal frequency was something he guarded tightly, and yet he’d given it to Scott before they’d known each other more than a day. Since he and Scott had decided to commit to each other, he’d also passed on his personal frequency to a few of the Tempest’s crew members, though Vetra was the only one that had actually used it so far.--x--‘Scott, you have a message from Keema Dohrgun,’Scott tilted his head, a little confused. He hadn’t known that she had his frequency. ‘Thanks SAM,’--x--Or, Three messages Vetra sent Reyes about Scott, and Three messages Keema sent Scott about Reyes
Relationships: Male Ryder | Scott/Reyes Vidal, Ryder/Reyes Vidal
Series: The Journey Home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714918
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	1. Three messages Vetra sent Reyes

**Author's Note:**

> The song Scott sings will be linked at the end of the first chapter.

Reyes turned back to the shuttle as Keema left him to it. She hadn’t come for any purpose he could figure, other than to tease him about Scott. She’d been in a good mood as she left, tapping away at the Angaran equivalent of an omnitool.

He’d stripped off to the waist thanks to the Kadara heat, sweaty from wrestling a stubborn broken part out of a tight space. He’d managed to fit the replacement just as Keema arrived and was now ready to close the panel.

His musings on Keema’s strangely cheerful mood were broken by the ping of his own omnitool, alerting him to a message. There were only a few people that had access to his frequency. His personal frequency was something he guarded tightly, yet he’d given it to Scott before they’d known each other more than a day. Since he and Scott had decided to commit to each other, he’d also passed on his personal frequency to a few of the Tempest’s crew members, though Vetra was the only one that had actually used it so far.

The Turian had taken to sending him photos and videos of Scott. Random moments from their travels and day-to-day life on the Tempest. He had a few favourites so far, the one that she had sent him of Scott laughing at something she’d said was a particular favourite. It had clearly been hilarious as he clutching railing in front of his for support, head tilted back and tears in his eyes.

Putting down the rag he was holding, Reyes turned around to lean on the side of his shuttle. Bringing up his arm to check his messages, he was pleased to see that it was one from Vetra. It was five words and a video attachment a few minutes long. _Interesting._ Vetra didn’t usually send those.

_‘Your boy’s got some pipes,’_

Reyes reached out and tapped on the attachment.

The Tempest’s cargo hold appeared. The Nomad took up much of the frame but Reyes’ eyes immediately picked out Scott. He was seated on the rear, legs dangling over the edge and plucking at something.

_Was that a guitar?_

Sound poured forth and Reyes was unable to focus on anything else for a long time.

_‘~It comes and goes in waves, it always runs back but its never quite the same,~'_

Scott’s voice was beautiful. He was utterly mesmerised, watching his lover pluck the strings and croon.

_‘~I was going for the title, got hit by your tidal wave, oh, can’t stay in the shallows, please tell me I won’t wash away,~’_

He’d had no idea that Scott could sing, and sing well. 

_‘~When it pulls me under, will you make me stronger, will you be my breath through the deep, deep water,~'_

He was torn between wanting to demand a performance the next time he saw Scott, and keeping this knowledge secret in case he stopped performing where Vetra could record him.

_‘~Thinking I deserve the dream but I don’t deserve the hurting, I want the flame without the burning,~'_

He wondered if Scott knew any other instruments. Pictured his fingers dancing over the keys of a piano, while Reyes watched from the shadows, glass of whiskey in hand.

_‘~But I can’t find my purpose when I don’t know what my worth is~’_

He wanted to reach out and touch him. Sit behind him, Scott between his legs, forehead pressed to the back of his neck and listen to him sing

_‘~When I’m sinking like a stone, at least I know I’m not alone,~'_

He found himself wishing desperately to be in the same room as Scott, able to close his eyes and listen, knowing that he’d be there when he opened them again.

_‘~It comes and goes in waves, it always runs back but it’s never quite the same.~’_

The final notes drifted away and Reyes watched as Scott took a breath, put the guitar aside, and laid back on the Nomad.

_‘Hey SAM? What time is it at Kadara Port, right now?’_

_‘It is early evening, Scott. Reyes is likely available,’_

_‘Thanks SAM, send him a request from the comm in my quarters,’_

The video cut there.

Reyes listened to it again and again, until his arm grew too tried to hold up anymore. He forwarded the message and video to the encrypted datapad he was using to store all these precious moments, and sighed. Scott was due to visit Kadara soon, perhaps he could wrangle some treats for Vetra before they arrived. It was the least he could do for a gift like this.

—x—x—x—

Two days later saw Reyes lounging in the VIP room at Tartarus. Laid down on the long couch, one knee up and an arm flung over his eyes. The heavy music filtered though from downstairs, occasionally hitting a note that he could feel through the cushion below him. Not thinking of anything in particular, just, drifting.

The buzz of his omnitool against his brow broke Reyes out of his daydream. Lifting his arm away from his face, he activated the interface, curious.

A message from Vetra, with a few photo attachments.

Glancing at the brief message, _'Slice of life,’_ , he turned his attention to the first image.

Scott was visible from the waist up, clearly just post workout. Wearing that ridiculously garish Blasto tank, headphones around his neck, skin faintly glistening with perspiration. He held a mug of what was likely coffee in one hand and a datapad in the other, intent on whatever was on the screen, a tiny furrow between his brows. Reyes swept his eyes down to linger on his lover’s gorgeous arms, nicely framed as they were by that neon affront to his eyes.

He stared so long, lost in thoughts of how those same arms might look while Scott gripped the sheets below him, that the screen dimmed.

Sighing to himself, he moved onto the next image in Vetra’s message.

This one was Scott, his engineer, and his pilot. They were clearly mid argument, the Salarian tense like a tightly coiled spring, and Brodie mid gesticulation. Scott was stuck in the middle, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to hold off a headache.

Reyes smiled, realising that this must have been the argument Scott was telling him about last week. It had ended with Scott just walking off. He’d later spoken to them both privately and separately about the issue. Ever the professional, Scott ascribed to the practice of ‘praise in public, reprimand in private’. In organisations like the Collective, the opposite tended to work better, but to each their own.

Flicking to the next and final image, Reyes froze, spellbound.

Scott’s head filled almost a third of the frame, the expression on his face was one of wide-eyed wonder. His face was in profile, turned up towards the sky. Eyes were wide open, snow dusting his hair and lashes. Reflected in his eyes were the auroras that were clearly lighting up the sky on Voeld.

Scott had mentioned on his last visit to Kadara that he was he was headed there next and would be reactivating the vault there, if possible. It appears that he was successful, which meant that he may be headed back to Kadara soon.

Noting the time before dismissing the screen, Reyes stretched languidly on the couch. He had a meeting with Keema soon and he’d have to get up in a minute, but for now he basked in thoughts of seeing his Pathfinder again soon.

—x—x—x—

Reyes was mid bite of his meal when his omnitool pinged with a message. A quick glance showed it was another message from Vetra. Burning with anticipation he finished the last few forkfuls, dumping the dirty dishes in the sink on his way to the couch. The little apartment suited him for now, with its view of the dock and close proximity to the Collective Headquarters and Kralla’s.

Settling in, he pulled up the message, greedy as always for news of his lover.

Vetra’s messages were usually short and to the point, this one was no different.

_‘Looks like something out of the recruitment vids’_

Curious.

Reyes flicked open the attached image.

It was a shot of the bridge of the Tempest, taken from the bulkhead doors looking forward. Scott stood in the centre, leaning over the navigation station, looking out at planet that filled much of the screen. Clad in his white and blue civvies, he looked every bit the poster boy for the Initiative.

Reyes looked a little closer, noting the tense set to Scott’s shoulders and the tight grip he had on the rail in front of him. His poor lover was clearly in need of a break. Sending the file to his secured datapad, his attention was caught by something familiar about the planet. Before he could give it too much thought, the roar of a ships engines broke the silence.

He glanced out the window expecting to see an inbound shuttle but instead was surprised to see the Tempest cruising in for landing. Leaping to his feet ready to dash out to meet them, he hesitated a moment. This was the first time the Tempest had returned to Kadara since the Outcasts had been ousted. Since they’d decided to explore this thing between them. Should he wait for Scott to come find him? Or should he go find Scott, a little proof that he was serious about this endeavour?

A ping interrupted his anxiety.

_Scott._

_'Finally back, will wait on the Tempest for you. Missed you,’_

Reyes impatiently typed out a response as he dashed out the door.

‘On my way _querido_ , missed you too,’

\--x--x--x--

Song Scott is singing: [Deep Water - Acoustic by American Authors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpWBnlQcGn4)


	2. Three things Keema sent to Scott

Scott was seated at his desk, reading the latest reports from Prodromos. There was a concerning report about some missing scientists that he was going to follow up on, when SAM alerted him to a new message.

‘Scott, you have a message from Keema Dohrgun,’

Scott tilted his head, a little confused. He hadn’t known that she had his frequency. ‘Thanks SAM,’

Leaning back in his chair, Scott ran fingers through his already dishevelled hair and stretched out the kink in his neck. He’d been sitting for hours going through all the reports from the outposts, trying to find ways he could help them. Hunching forward for so long had left him with an ache in his shoulders and he was feeling the beginnings of a tension headache.

Deciding he was due a break, he reached for his cup of coffee, taking a fortifying sip before returning his attention to the screen. Leaning forward, he opened the message on his terminal, unsure why she would be the one contacting him instead of Reyes.

It was a short message with an image attachment.

_’Enjoy ;)’_

_What?_

Taking a sip of his coffee he opened the attachment.

And promptly choked. 

It took him a moment to get his coughing under control before he could look back at the screen.

_Damn._

It was a photo of Reyes.

He was standing in front of a shuttle, back mostly to Keema, because no one else could have taken this, his right side turned toward her. He held a rag that he was clearly using to wipe grease off of his hands. He was also stripped to the waist, skin a little shiny indicating that it was a hot day. The edge of a tattoo curled proudly on his upper arm. Scott’s eyes lovingly traced the curves of his back, wishing his fingers could follow those same curves.

He allowed himself a few minutes to just stare, taking in how relaxed his lover seemed in that moment. He pulled out a heavily encrypted datapad that he’d been using to store some of his more delicate correspondence and transferred the file across for safekeeping.

Tapping out his response to Keema, Scott smiled feeling much more relaxed than he did ten minutes ago.

_’Almost choked to death on my coffee. Would have been worth it,’_

—x—x—x—

Scott stamped his feet, trying to dislodge any stubborn ice clinging to his armour. Walking the rest of the way up the ramp to the Tempest, he pondered the progress they were making on the icy planet. They were returning from activating the vault, after a short detour to take in the view. Kadara may have been his favourite planet for a fairly compelling reason, but Voeld was edging in to a close second.

Walking though the ship, trying not to drip everywhere, Scott stowed away his weapons and armour and made his way to his quarters, ready to sleep for the night. Tomorrow, they were going to investigate the Kett facility and he’d need to be well rested for that.

Getting ready for bed, his thoughts were interrupted by SAM.

‘Scott, you have another message from Keema Dohrgun,’

There was moment were he debated leaving it for tomorrow, but if it was anything like her last message then it would be a nice finish to his day. They’d been on Voeld for a just over a week so far, and Scott was eager to be getting back to Kadara. He and Reyes had a discussion to have, after all.

Tugging on his sleepwear, wandered over to the terminal at the desk to check the rest of his messages. Most were just messages of thanks from people he’d assisted. It never failed to blindside him a little when people reached out to him like that. He wasn’t used to working in a publicly acknowledged role. His Alliance work had been so classified even his family didn’t know what he did. Just that he was a ‘Recon Specialist’, which didn’t even cover a third of the kind of missions he ran.

Shaking himself a little, Scott moved along to Keema’s message.

_'War face,’_

Scott was as confused by this message as he was by the last one. Hoping the attached image would give him some much needed context, he tapped to open the attachment.

_Holy fuck._

It was a picture of Reyes, of course.

He had no idea how Keema managed to take this one, as Reyes was looking almost directly at the camera. The expression on his face was, well, _intense_ , didn’t do it justice. If Scott had to put an emotion to it then barely contained anger came pretty close. He didn’t have the crazed look in his eyes that Scott associated with rage. Just narrowed eyes, a tension across his brown and a clenched jaw. He was leaning forward, hands on the table between them, like he was leaning toward Scott.

He looked _lethal_.

And Scott _loved_ it.

He shifted in his seat, pants suddenly too tight, pulse racing, and his mouth gone dry.

It probably said something unflattering about him that his lover’s murder face got him hot under the collar, but Scott couldn't bring himself to care. 

He typed out a quick response to Keema, resigning himself to a bit of a later night than he'd expected.

_‘I’d pity whoever caused that face but, damn.’_

—x—x—x—

Scott was on the bridge, coordinating their departure when the next message arrived. Reyes had messaged him several days ago to say that things were as stable as they could be in Port, so it was safe to return. Scott had waited a few extra days to make sure the new outpost, they were calling it Taerve Uni, was settled enough to safely leave.

They’d been on Voeld much longer than the original estimate of three weeks. It had instead taken almost five weeks for the Pathfinder to be ready to leave. The vault was active and the skies clear, the temperature already improving and the ice just beginning to thin. The Kett facility had been taken care of, totally cleared out and powered down. The ancient A.I. in the underground city had been packed off to Aya, against its wishes, but honestly, he didn’t want it anywhere near SAM. And finally, an outpost had been set up with the permission and support of the local Angara.

It had been a whirlwind few weeks and, despite the unbelievable views from everywhere he'd been, he was well and truly ready to be on his way.

He’d set up his omnitool to ping whenever a message came through from either Reyes or Keema. He didn't want to miss any while he was careening around in the Nomad.

Giving Kallo and Suvi their heading, Scott left the bridge in their capable hands, sliding down the ladder outside to his quarters.

He settled in front of the terminal, eager to see what Keema had sent him today. Today's message tugged at something inside him.

_‘He’s missing you,’_

_Not long now, Reyes._

He tapped open the attached photo, smiling wistfully at what he saw.

Reyes was leaning against a window, one of the kind he’d only seen in port, with the horizontal bars. His body was turned toward Keema, but his face was turned away towards the view outside. The sunset threw the outline of the bars across his face, leaving part of it in shadow. Only his eyes and mouth were clearly visible. He had his arms crossed, an actual _glass_ of what was likely whiskey clutched loosely in his fingers. He seemed to be lost in thought.

Scott smiled at how artful his lover looked, posing in the sunset like that. He looked like an advert for some kind of high class alcohol that might have run on the Citadel back in the Milky Way. 

Wouldn’t be long now before he could see him, touch him again. His body gave a shiver of anticipation.

‘Hey SAM, what’s our ETA for Kadara?’

‘Approximately four hours, Scott,’

‘Thanks SAM,’

Tapping out a response, Scott let himself feel all the excitement he’d been pushing aside to better focus on his Pathfinding duties.

_‘Not long now.’_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little rusty at this so all comments and suggestions are welcome.


End file.
